Transmission gearing for automobiles



Oct. 30 1923. r H. T. THOMAS I TRANSMISSION GEAR-1N6 FOR AUTOMOBILESFiled ma 9, 1921 k 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

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A TTORNEY.

Oct. 30,1923. mmw

H. T. THOMAS TRANSMISSION GEARING FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed-May 9, 1921 I 2Sheets-Sheet 2 i i? INVENTOR. #0246: 7 firm ms A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 30, 1923. i r

U fTEU @TATES HORACE T. THOMAS, OF

ranges Parana" orrica.

LANSING, MICHIGAN.

TRANSMISSION GEARINGIOR AUTOMOBILES. v

the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accom 'panying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification. y inventionrelates to transmission gearing forautomobiles, and an object of my improvements is to provide an improvedapparatus in which no gearing will be in operative engagement when thedirect con nection is made.

In the accompanying drawings: 7 I Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of atransmission gearing embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2 2,

'Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. c

a is the power imparting shaft and b is the shaft to which the powerfrom the shaft a is imparted. These shafts are co-axial as in the usualconstruction and there is the usual gear wheels for forming parts oftrains of gearing intermediate said shafts.

g is the secondary shaft. y

0, is a gear wheel on the power shaft a.

Z2 is a gear wheel slidably keyed upon the shaft 1 and adapted whenengaged to receive its motion from the gear wheel a. d is a gear wheelkeyed upon the secondary shaft 9. a is a gear wheel slidably keyed uponthe shaft 1). (1. is a clutch section'upon the end of the shaft a, andis the com plcmentary clutch section formed in the gear wheel 0. e isthe shifter rod which is of the usual constructi'oiiandcarries the armc; engaging an an1iu1argroove in the gear wheel 0 whereby said gearwheel is shifted to engage the gear wheel d or to be disengagedtherefrom and have its clutch section engage the clutch section a on thepower shaft a so as to directly connect the shafts a and b.

The gear Wheel k may he slid along the shaft 9 to one position in whichits teeth engage the teeth of the gear wheel a and to another positionin which its teeth are disengaged. if is the usual annular groove 921.Serial No. 468,071.

by which the gear wheel lei-may be shifted along the shaft g. f is athree-arm lever pivoted upon a stationary arbor f, and

having anarm f extending downward and engaging at 7" in the groove [L2of the gear wheel h so that the rocking of, the leverf shall shift thegear wheel it along the shaft 1. is a. second arm of the lever f, and fis a third arm. The arms f and f are provided with friction rollers attheir outer ends.

Upon the shifting rod 6 I place a cam piece 0 having opposite cam faces6 and e. The cam piece a is located between the outer ends ofthe leverarms 7' and 7 so that its cam faces may engage the friction rollers onthe ends of said arms. The rela tire arrangement of the cam piece a andthe outer ends of the'arms f? and f is such that when the shifting rod 6is moved to disengage the'clutch portion 0 from the clutch portion a thearm f will be pressed down by the cam surface 6 and held in its lowerposition by the cam piece 6 This will turn arm f to the left as shown inFig.

1, moving the gear wheel it into engagement with the gearwheel a so thatthe motion from the power shaft shall be transmitted to the secondaryshaft 9. lVhen the rod 6 is shiftedtoward the left as shown in dottedlines Fig. 1. the cam face o will press the arm to the left and downwardand the cam piece a will hold it in its depressed position. This motionalso carriesthe cam piece 6 from its positioirover the arm f so that thelatter is free to rise. This motion of the shifting rod eturns the arm7' toward the right,- as shown in Fig. 1. carrying the gear wheel it outof engagement with the gear wheel 7L and at the same tin. moving thegear wheel 0 to the left until its clutch portion engages the clutchport-ion & on the power shaft, thus compleling the direct connection.

It will be seen that when the direct connection is made the gear wheelsare disengaged and at rest. while. when the direct connection is broken.the usual provision for transmitting different speeds between the shaftsa. and 7) is in operative arrange ment.

,lVhat I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the kind described. the combination of a powershaft and a power receiving shaft and a secondary shaft a clutch adaptedto directly engage said power shaft and saidpower receiving shaft,

a shifting rod adapted to actuate said clutch,

a gear wheel on said power shaft, a gear clutch adapted to directlyengage and to,

disengage said power shaft and said powerreceiving shaft, means foractuating said clutch, a gear wheel on said power shaft, a gear wheelslidably keyed, on said secondary shaft, means for engaging anddisengaging said gear wheels, a gear wheel on the power receiving shaft,asecond gear wheel on the secondary shaft, a positivelyacting camapparatus between the clutch ac-tuatlng means and the means for engagmgthe iirstmentioned pair of gear wheels whereby said gear wheels are'engaged when the clutch is disengaged and are disengaged when the clutchis engaged, said cam apparatus being constructed to allow said clutchactuating means to connect and (118- i connect the gear Wheel on thepower receiving shaft and the gear wheel on the secondary shaft when thepower- Slljift and secondary shaft are engaged.

3. In an apparatus of the kiIi-d described,

the combination of a power shift, a power receiving shaft and a secondry shaft, a clutch adapted to directly engage and to disengage saidpower shaft andzsaid power eceivin shaft means for actuatin said 1 b 3 Yb clutch, a gear wheel on said power shaft, a gear wheel s lidably keyedon said secondary shaft, means for engagingiand disengaging said gearwheels, a.'gear wheel on. the power receiving shaft, a second gear wheelon-the secondary shaft, a ,shifting rod adapted to actuate said clutchactuating means, said shifting rod being provided with a positivelyacting cam adapted to actuate the means for engaging and disengaging thei first-mentioned pair of gear wheels whereby i the same are engagedwhen the clutch is 'disengaged and are disengaged when the clutch isengaged, said cam beingconstruc'ted allow said shifting rodto connectand disconnect the gear Wheel on the power IBQBlVi" ing shaft and thegear. wheel on the second Sh'aft whenflle Power Shaft and"secmaintainondary shaft are engaged while its positive action.

in v

%n testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

HORACE- '1.TPIO JSIASI

